Dutch Incinerator "Cathedral" to Transform Waste Into Energy

Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat has been contracted by the Dutch Board of Waste and energy supplier KARA/Noveren to design a new waste-to-power incineration line in Roskilde, Denmark. The contract was won by van Egeraat in a competition in 2008, where he proposed a design that embraces both the historic and industrial heritage of the region. The new incinerator plant features a striking punctured façade and it is expected to be finished in 2013, when it will start to process large amounts of local waste to produce electricity and heating for the region.

The plant will use the latest and most efficient techniques to process 260,000 to 350,000 tons of waste per year. In turn, this will generate enough electricity for 60,000 households each year. Speaking of his design, Erick van Egeraat said, “It is a contemporary cathedral, close to the ground we shaped the building to reflect the angular factory roofs of the immediate surroundings. We then let the building culminate in a 100 meter tall spire, which is an articulation of a fascinating and sustainable process in creating energy.”

Van Egeraat’s design of the plant makes the incinerator not just a power station, but also an icon on the horizon. Circular openings in the building’s aluminum facade serve to transform the station into a beacon at night, when light from the facility shines through the exterior.

Not just that, but the design allows the light to start as a spark before growing into a ‘flame’ that covers the entire building, before transforming into ‘embers’. Quite a design feat for an incinerator.

LEAVE A COMMENT

NEW USER

CURRENT USERS LOGIN

6 Comments

emajineMay 14, 2011 at 12:30 pm

What kind of toxins are going to be expelled into the air with this process? People should be making more of an effort to reduce their waste, which is entirely possible. You can be a zero waste family and so can everyone else. :/

[...] the company has announced that within the next week, they will begin the construction of numerous municipal-solid-waste-to-fuel plants for clients around the world. The company has already received $2 billion in contracts, showing [...]

afrah shamsOctober 21, 2010 at 5:24 am

This building resembles a bird to me .Birds like crow did help in cleanin the surrounding ( waste disposal by simply eating it ).The incineraor ,a furnace that will swallow up all the waste to produce power .That sounds awesome since thats the new trend.i believe the horzontal extension will be where the incinerator will be place and teh verical extesion is where they accomodate the offices .

Afrah shamsOctober 21, 2010 at 5:12 am

The building resembles a bird to me .Though birds like crow helps clean our surrounding ,i dont think its in anyway related the incinerator.The idea of transorming waste to power is the new trend .The structure does look like it will serve the purpose .I believe the horizontal extention is where the incinerator itself will be placed and the veritcal extesion is to accomdate its offices .

jgo_moOctober 20, 2010 at 8:12 am

I believe that should read “Danish Board of Waste to energy” as it does in the Bustler article.

fioreOctober 20, 2010 at 12:36 am

an Incinerator is an Incenerator is not a piece of art.
an incenarator is an Incenarator .Do not trasformorm wast into energy , that is what they want you to believe.